USIU placement and career office services [PACS]

USIU Placement and Career Office Services. If you are a USIU student, you might have heard of the placement and career office during your orientation. But let’s face it, it has been forever, and you pretty much don’t even remember what they do exactly.

I am here to change that.

Hi, my name is Lavender, and I am an alumnus of USIU. In my final year, I volunteered at the placement and career office. From February to December 2020 to be exact. Let’s see if you can relate to this, you heard about the placement and career office during orientation and that was pretty much it, right?

If that’s you, don’t feel bad. Before I started working in this department, I was the same way too. What I am here to do is to help demystify PACS to you. To remind you of what they do and, more importantly, how you can take advantage of them. Sound good?

Let’s get into what the placement and career office does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4P81XC1480

The USIU placement and career office exists as a bridge between you, the student, and your career, or the job market. It exists as a link that will help you in several ways: resume critique, cover letter review, job search, personal brand creation, career development if you are already working and so much more.

Here is a fun fact, did you know that you can continue to take advantage of the placement and career office even after you graduate? Indeed, you can. As long as you are a USIU student or alumnus, you are entitled to these services. Now you know.

I shall list all the services that you can get from the department, all the ones that I can remember is, then I shall expound on them in detail below.

USIU placement and career office services

1. ·         Career Coaching
2. ·         Careerlink/Symplicity
3. ·         Internship Search
4. ·         Interview prep
5. ·         Job search
6. ·         Job shadowing
7. ·         Mentorship
8. ·         Networking
9. ·         Personal branding
10. ·         Resume & Cover Letter writing
11. ·         Skills development
12. ·         Tutoring
13. ·         Work-study

Career Office Services #1 Career Coaching

Career coaching services are for students who are enrolled in either part-time or full-time jobs. According to careerexperts.com, career coaching is getting the support, help, and guidance you need to figure things out to reach your ultimate career goals.

The USIU career advisors are there to ask questions, guide you, and help you overcome whatever challenges you’re facing in your career goals. This is especially useful for students who want to make sure that their major or minor will indeed help them further their career goals.

Career Office Services #2 Career link/Symplicity

Career link also known as Symplicity is an app that USIU students are privy to that gives them opportunities right on their smartphones. Symplicity is a website and an app where companies and recruiters post opportunities, which is, of course, a great resource for USIU students. Here is the link if you are interested.

Career Office Services #3 Internship search

Working in the career office, this is something we handled almost daily. Helping students find places to intern is something you shouldn’t have to struggle with on your own. Simply decide which line of work you would like to intern in and let the career advisors do the rest.

Of course, it is a very collaborative process so don’t feel bad if you don’t like the first couple of picks, use that as a guide to better fine-tune what you want.

Career Office Services #4 Job search

Great, you are done with your internship and your college program, what now? I can personally attest to the fact that job hunting all alone can be scary, disappointing, and sometimes discouraging. But, what if it didn’t have to be?

Get help and support from the career office. Tell them the opportunities you are interested in and let them do the rest.

Career Office Services #5 Job shadowing

So you are interested in a given role, and you are feeling very passionately about it, but how do you know you have the stamina for the job? How can you do it without making a fool of yourself? Simple, job shadowing.

According to thebalancecareers.com, Job shadowing involves observing a professional as they work to get a better understanding of their particular role. Job shadowing can help you determine whether a certain job is right for you and whether you’re looking to start or change a career.

Job shadowing will give you a front-seat view of the job you so desperately desire and, the placement and career office can facilitate this opportunity for you.

Career Office Services #6 Mentorship

Often when we enter the workplace, the learning curve is steep, bumpy, and unforgiving. Luckily, with career mentors, it doesn’t have to be.

A career mentor is someone who has been working in the industry you are interested in for some years and is willing to help you assimilate into it as smoothly as possible. I shall be writing a more in-depth post about the benefits of having a career mentor, so keep a lookout for that.

Career Office Services #7 Networking

The placement and career office organizes events that create the opportunity for USIU students to meet people from various industries. One such event is the career fair that USIU holds every year except 2020 as a result of COVID-19.

Career Office Services #8 Personal branding

Another popular service is personal branding. Personal branding is the conscious effort of creating a brand around yourself based on values that you consistently portray and want others to identify you by.

It can be difficult and intimidating to figure out how to do it or where to start, but, the career office gives you a clear road map of where to start. I will be sharing a post with you all on creating a personal brand on social media, so look out for that also.

Career Office Services #9 Resume & Cover Letter Writing

A lot of times we look at our resumes and are super happy with what they look like, only to find out that they don’t make the industry cut. Being mindful of the fact that what is acceptable changes all the time. Make sure your resume gets you through that interview door by getting it critiqued by one of the career advisors.

Did you know that today, your cover letter is the email body that accompanies your resume? That’s right. No more are you required to have another document called a cover letter. Get help writing your cover letter from the placement and career office.

Career Office Services #10 Skills development

Regardless of what your major or minor is, there are skills you need that you can’t get from your textbook. These are soft skills. Soft skills are becoming just as important, if not more important than hard skills, in the job market today.

However, how do you know which ones matter the most? And more importantly, how to build and nurture them?

This is what the career office is for. To help you eliminate the guessing game and know for sure for a brighter career future.

Career Office Services #11 Tutoring

Are you struggling with some courses? Are you wondering where to get help from? Cue in the placement and career office. I also didn’t know that the placement and career office was responsible for linking tutors and tutees until I worked in the department.

Career Office Services #12 Work-study

The placement and career office will also help you find a place to work-study on campus. I didn’t know that they did this either until I was a career peer advisor myself. If you are looking for work-study opportunities, here is the place to get help.

I hope this helps.

Please know that this department is a privilege and, it’s yours to take advantage of. You don’t always have to take the long route, struggling by yourself. Take advantage of the career office and have an easier, smoother class to career transition with the USIU placement and career office.

USIU Placement and career office services emails

Email 1: ca**********@us**.ke

Email 2: pa********@us**.ke